According to well-established practice, electrically-charged bare wire is mounted on fences at a height from 2 to 3 feet from the ground in order to confine livestock to specified pasture areas. The wires are fastened in position with appropriate insulators. Any contact by an animal with the charged wire causes an electrical shock to the animal. A number of problems are encountered in providing gates for such fences, as people or vehicles passing through such a gate must avoid contact with the charged wire. To pass the fence, the charged wire must be inactivated or a swinging gate must be installed.
Several solutions have been found. Some of these include having the wire pass beneath the ground for a distance covered by a gate and/or having the wire disconnected each time the gate is opened.
For a vehicle to pass through any such gate, the vehicle operator has to dismount and disengage the gate wire or open the gate in order to permit his vehicle to pass. Moreover, after the vehicle has gone through the gate, the operator must again leave his vehicle and close the gate and engage the gate wire.